8k test

[Petar D.]

Hi guys i have 8k test in sunday and i am wondering how fast should i go. I need some advice how to do this, i cant go max and die after 2k.Here are some trainings and scores:
Best on 2k 1:49:00
2x8k 2:04.5 and 2:04 at 22 spm
6k around 1:57.5
I am 16 and 167.5 cm high and i am 68 kg

Thanks

[jvincent]

How hard was it for you to get the 6K time?

For the 8K you probably won't be able to keep that pace for 8K assuming it's recent.

Take the advice for what it's worth, but go for 1:59 and if you find you've got gas in the tank after 7K take the pace up at that point.

[Petar D.]

Thanks, and one more question: If my goal is 1:59 for example how much slower that 1:59 should i start?

[jvincent]

I would get to 1:59 as quickly as possible and then hold it there.

From a bio-mechanical point of view, that requires the lowest overall energy output.

[Nosmo]

Personally if I was going for 1:59 average for an 8K, I'd do 500m at 2:01, 500m at 2:00, then the next 5k at 1:59, and evaluate whether to increase or decrease the past from there. You'll be a few seconds down but you will have plenty of time to make it up and it is better to be conservative and you will warm up some as you go.

[chrisgray40]

you will warm up some as you go.

Ideally you should be warm well before the first 500 meters, no?

[Izzzmeister]

I'm with J Vincent, never start slow.
Don't waste your first 10 or so strokes, which work with the ATP system. What works best for me is half stroke, half stroke, 3/4, 3/4, then 8-10 powerful stroke. From there, slow it down to 1:59 and hold. Last 2K, see how strong you are, if you can go to 1:57.5 or so. Also, always sprint at the end, maybe the last 250 meters or so.
The only "cheat" I would do is a strong coffee a half hour before.
Knock 'em dead!

[Nosmo]

you will warm up some as you go.

Ideally you should be warm well before the first 500 meters, no?

Ideally you are warm before zero meters, but very few people get a complete warm up. I'm only suggesting going very slightly slower for the first 6 minutes. Doing what I suggested puts one 3 seconds down, which only takes a 1:58.75 for the rest of the 8K to average 1:59. What you don't want to do is start out too fast, that usually costs you three times over by the end. This is an 8K peice so it is not nearly as important to have a good start as it would be in much shorter pieces.

Really it depends on how confident you are that you can hold your target pace and how much experience you have at judging your effort. When going for a PR, I evaluate my pace almost continually, but only make very small adjustments, so that even if you are slightly too fast you can back off say 1 second per 500 and finish off the piece. If you are feeling good then you can increase your speed a similar amount but how good you are feeling determines how soon you increase your pace.

[chrisgray40]

I agree that starting conservative is likely best when you have no idea of what you can hold for a piece. However, given the data we have- a 6k and 2x8k, we have a relatively small window to work with for a goal split. It's clearly somewhere between the 1:57.5 and the 2:04, likely closer to the 1:57.5 It's only 6.5 more minutes, and even the conservative side of me thinks that holding a 2:00 split should be the absolute top range of a goal split.

Given your 2x6k times, its inconceivable to me that you'd finish a 500 at a 2:01 and think that that's all you've got for the rest of the piece.